Snippet * 30    Be a Bird

By

Divya Agrawal 

 

Celebrated Dutch Artist  M.C.Escher's optical illusions play with patterns, perspective and evolution to create mind twisting drawings. Legendary designer Alexander McQueen's FW2009 collection was inspired by Escher's work, overlaying impossible looking art on garments.

 

 

 Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat  ( www.onthedesignboat.com )

D E S I G N S  D I A L O G U E S - II

NEHA RAMAIYA, YELLOW SPIDERS

in conversation with Hina Nitesh

'Art is a unearthing of nature into beautiful forms which are suitable for our use.'

So believes Neha Ramaiya, the lady we are in conversation today. A graduate of JJ School of Art, Neha wears many hats- she is a trained potter, dabbles in an art form known as zentangles and is the founder of Yellow Spiders Tangle Club. OTDB got talking to her and here are the excerpts...

On the pottery

While I was studying at the JJ School of Art, I had to choose between painting and pottery. I chose pottery as it is 3 dimensional art form unlike painting. Its fun to do and I have been dabbling in it since the last 15 years. I didn’t even realize when it transformed from a passion to a fully fledged career.

About Zentangles

Zentangles, comes from the Buddhist Zen philosophy. It is a structured form of doodles based on intuition and, when practiced, creates a meditative state. It’s simple and only requires a black pen and paper; you can do it just about anywhere. Anybody can do it and there is no artistic background or technology needed. 

One can complete a plate or mug in 15 or 20 minutes. Although there is a structure, there is no right or wrong way to do Zentangles and anybody with creativity can do it. At a philosophical level, it clears the cobwebs in the mind and helps you to connect with the inner artist.

Combining pottery and Zentangles

All these years while I was doing pottery, I was clueless about Zentangles. Maybe I was subconsciously applying it in my pottery. It must have been deep rooted in me somewhere and expressed itself in my pottery. Now that I am aware about the art, I love it and am passionate about it. 

Creativity has many positive benefits and Zentangles has helped me

make peace with my inner self. It has taught me to slow down and savor every moment —after all, the present moment is all there is.

On the evolution of an idea

I am inspired by nature; the texture of leaves fascinate me and I unconsciously incorporate such elements in my work. I do not plan or have anything in mind while starting a piece. I just start with one stroke and it evolves. Of course it is in my subconscious and as and when I create it takes shape ergonomically and technically. 

I work on instinct and the end product unfolds only when it’s done. You just stat tangling and see where it leads. The process has no expected outcome other than the enjoyment of putting the pen to paper and waiting for the end result. 

About Yellow Spiders

YellowSpiders is my baby; it is very close to my heart. I started it with one student and ended up teaching so many. I want to help others develop their skill sets so that they can enjoy their art like I do. Each student has his or her story and I have learnt a lot about life from them. It is a creative give and take which is very rewarding. I just want to reach out to as many people as possible and hope to enrich their lives.

On what inspires her

Inspiration is everywhere around us. I love nature and I often use the fluid shapes of flowers/ leaves in my work. Nature has played a significant role in my creative expression. The art we create from nature’s inspiration becomes a part of our personal and cultural identity. But I find my deepest well of inspiration simply in the process of creating something out of nothing. 

On design in India

When I think about good design, I think about functionality and the ability for someone who has never seen the finished item before to ascertain the information he or she needs quickly. Great design adds beauty and style to that functionality. Having an outdated look or one that doesn't match what you're trying to make can definitely hurt the end result, but having poor functionality, especially in an age where we have at least 2-3 other options for a service, can destroy a design. Design has to be simple and at the same time innovative. 

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat   

Images copyright: Neha Ramaiya, YellowSpiders

S T O R I E S   i n   T E X T I L E
 by Divya Agrawal

Intense, evocative, symbolic are a few expressions that aptly describe the work of the textile artists we are featuring today : Maria Eugenia Davila & Eduardo Portillo, and, Anne Woringer.

 Some textiles are story tellers. They carry stories of the hands that made them, of cultures and places. 

Historically, all the great civilizations have had rich textile traditions. Cotton, linen, wool and varieties created using papyrus, reed etc go far back to the ancient period.  Indigo dyeing, Batik, Block print and other surface techniques have added a rich palette of color and pattern to plain fabric since long. 

In the contemporary world, textiles have been the base of experimentation for many artists. Our featured artists have pushed boundaries and created artworks on textiles that can be, at the least, be called stunning.

MARIA EUGENIA DAVILA & EDUARDO PORTILLO

 

Maria Eugenia Davila & Eduardo Portillo's textile art interprets their interest in people, cultures and environment. Merged with their interest in materials and processes, the duo express their experiences through weaves. 

The duo  live and work in Mérida, in the Venezuelan Andes. With titles like "the afternoon sun" and "dawn", these woven masterpieces transport one to the horizon, to be immersed in the beauty of a blazing summer afternoon or embrace the dark with a fading sky. 

A closer look at their work (below) reveals plant fiber interwoven with silk/ cotton. Indigo dyed yarn contrasts beautifully with gold. Note the different shades of blue that the duo have achieved in Indigo dye giving them a much wider palette of color to work with. 

 

"....We also work with local materials, such as cotton and alpaca from Peru and Bolivia, fiber from the moriche and chiqui-chique palm trees of the Orinoco River Delta and Amazon region, as well as dyes from the indigo plant. For us color is crucial. Our interest in color starts at its very foundations: how it is obtained, where it is found in nature, in objects, in people..."Maria Eugenia Davila & Eduardo Portillo

Images : Left: 'En la Noche'   , Right : 'Nubes'/Clouds, Bottom: Detail from 'Nocturno'

Their passion for their art has taken Maria & Eduardo to China to study sericulture when they decided to work with silk; to India and the Amazon, to discover Indigo. In Venezuela, they now cultivate their own silk and Indigo plants. What an interesting approach to Art, right from sourcing to weaving! And, a pioneering one - working with plant fibers and metal to give another dimension to fabric.

ANNE WORINGER

Anne Woringer also tells stories through her patchworks and embroideries. Some of her work is reminiscent of architectural maps - a medley of labyrinths and organic forms.

An amazing aspect of her art is Anne's ability to visualize complex end forms and work piece by piece towards creating them using fairly challenging techniques, like in the patchwork pieces below.  

These works simply reinforce my belief that the human mind is naturally gifted to push its boundaries, to explore further than what has already been...and that Art is a celebration of life!

All images: Courtesy the featured Artists

 

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat   

 

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Snippet * 21    W i n d o w   t o   m y  W o r l d  # 2

 By Divya Agrawal

A peek into my current work - a series of postcard drawings titled "Postcard Musings'

 More on view at: Divya's Art Diary

Pebble Art

Text : Divya Agrawal

Have stones ever been a source of wonder to you? They have been to me, every time I find one that has a line of color, a swirl of a pattern or a hint of mica. Not to forget one of my favorites - Amber (called a stone but actually resin), millions of years of history safely encapsulated. Stones - grey, black, yellow, reds - each is a carrier of a story, the journey it has undertaken and the events it has witnessed.  

Sharon Nolan, from Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada uses stones to create pictures that tell a story. Materials become tools in an artist's hands - a means for personal expression. Sharon's pebbles beautifully convey emotions..

Using pebbles, sea glass, twigs and more, the artist creates pictures that reach out to the viewer. 

Sharon has a knack of choosing her materials just right - a curve in the silhouette where it is required, an edge here, and, just the right combination of color - as in this lovely group of coastal houses above.

"...To say as much as I can with as little as possible." Sharon Nolan

Aren't these artworks captivating? It's hard to believe that stones can convey so much..

Sharon has mastered her chosen medium. Note the picture (top left) - the choice of stone sizes and types perfectly conveys the setting and mood, like a realistic watercolor would.

These animal compositions are adorable!

I have never come across sea glass on my beach outings...The ones in these pictures must have been tossed around for hundreds of years to have such nicely rounded edges. And, what lovely colors!

Special moments..

 And more..

I can't have enough of Sharon's Pebble Art. Time to head to her Etsy Shop?

 

All images: Sharon Nolan

Text & creative layout copyrights: Onthedesignboat   

  

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N a t u r e   w i t h    G E N I N N E   and   a   G I V E A W A Y!

Text : Divya Agrawal

It's celebration time at On The Design Boat.
10,000+ views for our blog! 
We are celebrating this milestone with 

a  

Giveaway that celebrates nature

And

a feature on the very talented, Geninne Zlatkis's work

Images: Left: Gennine Zlatkis; Right: On the Design Boat (Giveaway)

All are invited to Participate:

1. Leave a comment on OTDB's FB page here (in the comments section of this post) The comment should include the thing/ things you enjoy in nature. Ideas? Try an exciting format : a poem, an acrostic, a haiku, or anything that makes for an interesting narrative.

 2. Double your chances of winning : If you like us, share this post on your timeline :)

One lucky winner, anywhere in the world,  takes home these lovely products (picture above): A pen stand and a 40 sheet 12x17 cm notebook, both made out of natural leaves, flowers and handmade paper, in Auroville.

The winner will be announced on OTDB's FB page on Saturday, 02 May 2015

Now about our featured artist..

Birds (other than crows and pigeons) are a rare sight in a dense city like Mumbai. A Koel cooing and a pair of parrots performing acrobatics on electric cables is just about the only avian treat I can relish in the mornings. However, as a little girl I had a treasure trove of bird feathers - a collection I used to build on during my walk back from school, while spotting kingfishers and blue jays. 

Recently my daughter reintroduced me to the world of birds with a lovely book she has picked up, 'Birds of different feathers' by Katie Bagli, a lucid collection of avian adventures featuring painted snipes, shrikes, cuckoos, flamingos and many more. 

And, 

a chance discovery - Geninne's drawings, made me fall in love with birds (and nature) all over again.

Geninne's birds frolic around beautiful flowers, they bring back memories when perched atop old postcards.

  

They talk to butterflies and yes, they also sew :)

Geninne calls Santa Fe, New Mexico home. 

"I’ve lived in Mexico on and off since I was a child and it has forever left its mark in my creative life. I am constantly inspired by the cheerful spirit of the people and their fearless use of color...." Geninne on taprootmag.com

Geninne's workspace is a melange of many things that she creates and is inspired from. Plants, feather, pebbles, textiles are present in her work in one form or the other, just as they are in her studio. Vases full of brushes, art prints and self created ceramic pieces line work spaces - all adding beauty and inspiring an artist!

Geninne's use of color and eye for composition, balance and detail makes each of her works a delight to breathe in.

"I am inspired by the culture, the colors and the diverse flora and fauna of the different regions that I’ve been blessed to experience...My environment is definitely a big influence in my work." Geninne on taprootmag.com

Geninne's imaginative collages are a treat to peruse - postcards with motifs, maps, stamps all have been incorporated to create artworks that leave one spellbound. 

Paper is just one of the canvases in Geninne's repertoire. She also works with pebbles, leather, clay, rubber, and, would you believe it - eggs!!

Geninne, besides being incredibly talented is also a very generous artist - she has shared detailed lists of materials and video tutorials on how she paints and makes stamps on her Blog. (I made my first stamp following one of her tutorials)

A self taught water colorist, Geninne sure does paint magic with a brush. Thanks for inspiring so many of us with your colors, birds, butterflies and endless imagination! 

Visit her Etsy Shop to get some of Geninne's birds and cats home! 

All images: Geninne Zlatkis

Text & creative layout copyrights: Onthedesignboat   

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